Luton playwright works with JK Rowling on Harry Potter play

Luton playwright Jack Thorne has been named as the man working with JK Rowling to bring a Harry Potter production to the West End.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been written by author JK Rowling in collaboration with John Tiffany (who will direct) and Thorne, who also wrote the recent E4 teen drama Glue.

It will open at the Palace Theatre next summer, with tickets going on sale this autumn.

JK Rowling has confirmed in a Twitter post that the play will not be a prequel to the seven Harry Potter novels.

She offered her followers no further clues about the content of the play, tweeting: “I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil what I know will be a real treat for fans”.

Few additional details have been announced, though it is understood that informal casting has already started.

Born in Bristol, Thorne has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England ‘86, This Is England ‘88, The Fades and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys along with collaborating with Tiffany on an adaptation of the Swedish horror film Let The Right One In.

In 2012 he won Bafta awards for both drama series (The Fades) and serial (This Is England ‘88).

Today he tweeted ‘Re Harry Potter, can’t say anything, other than playing in @jk_rowling’s sandpit is the greatest honour & the greatest fun.’

He has even portrayed Luton in his work, with the one hander ‘Bunny’. In an earlier 2010 interview with the Luton News he said his experiences of Luton have been good. He says that he has not come across any problems and he loves the unpretentious atmosphere.

“Bunny is not a campaigning piece of theatre,” he said.

“It’s a real portrait of Luton and I hope in a way my affections for it come through.

“I have nicer neighbours now than I have had in any of the other places that I have lived in.